Tortall
by Maxwell ink
Summary: Here is just the Snippet beginning of what could be a beautiful thing, meet the new girl in town ready the change everything. Comes from just after Roald meets his wife before they fall in love.
1. Chapter 1

I am Apologizing in advanced for this but well I couldn't help myself, since I am now out of plaster I have decided to rewrite my first 2 chapters plus the third chapter will be loaded up as well. Enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

**The Child**

Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's peak rode at the head of his kings own, running border patrol through the Tortallian-Scanran Mountains. With the sweeps out they moved slowly looking out for war parties and killing machines. The path thinned down to little more than a goat track, forcing the group to form one column.

"You know if the king knew we let you ride lead, with emanate danger around we would be in trouble." Dom called from behind Raoul.

"Yeah, well no one is going to tell the king, now are they?" Raoul replied.

"I don't know, I might." A light, sweet voice of a woman echoed over them. They pulled their horses to a stop immediately. Raoul let out a series of whistles checking that all his sweepers were still there, they all returned, still in their positions with no signs of the enemy. "Oh have I scared you now?"

"Whose there, come out" Raoul called.

"Look up, I am not hiding." Sitting, with a small smile on her face, on a thick branch of an oak tree was a blonde haired blue eyed girl. "Hello"

"Hello there, why don't you come down here." Raoul said with a quiet smile in his voice, the right side of her smile twitched and she raised gracefully on the branch her black cape enveloping her body. Without so much as a change of posture she leapt twisted in the air and landed on her feet right in front of the leader of the own. Standing at her full height of 5 feet 9 inches with a coy smile on her face the girl looked strangely familiar. "I hope you know this is a war zone, whom do you support?"

"No one, I am seeking the Tortallian capital and Sir Myles of Olau." Her voice wasn't loud or abrupt, if anything Raoul thought that she may be shy.

"Why do you want Olau?"

"That isn't any concern of yours Raoul of Goldenlake," she retorted,

"How do you know who I am," there was the sound of a branch cracking the girl spun just as a sweeper hit; glancing off he smacked her across the face.

"She looks like a Scanran, but talks like something different my lord." Lerant of Eldorne said, his stand bearer and the sweeper how knocked her out. Raoul dismounted, most of his patrol followed suit.

"Well let's get a better look at her," Raoul pulled black her cloak revealed, a rake thin underweight girl no more than 16 at the oldest, he blonde hair was carefully coiled and pinned on top of her head to keep it out of her way. "She's young,"

"Pretty though," Dom replied, Raoul looked down at the girl for a few moments.

"Pack her up, get her tied to a horse and we'll take her back to Mastiff," he called, two men stepped forwards and in a few moments they were off again. Leaving half the squad behind to finish the patrol, Raoul headed back to mastiff with the girl. They stormed through the gates and up to the main keep.

"My Lord, you're back early." Called the sergeant at arms,

"Got us a pretty little prisoner here," Raoul called back. "Get some men take her to the stocks, and get the Whisper Man out here to chat with her." Several men headed towards the horse, one reached out and grabbed the back of the girl's cloak. The next thing that Raoul knew the man was on the ground dazed blood gushing from his nose, the girl stood there her hands still bond in front of her, blonde hair blowing in the wind. Three more men moved in, looking at one she seemed to run up his chest before kicking him in the side of the head, back flipping she took out another man her feet slamming into his chest, she landed on one knee and the ball of her other foot.

"Whoa there," four more men moved in with the remaining man, "fiery young filly you got here my Lord."

"Young Filly?" the girl asked the man smirked and fell as she smashed her bond hands into the side of his head. "Come on boys, is that all you got. I though the Tortallian knew how to fight." That made 2 of the men angry and they rushed her. Raoul was enjoying watching her; she seemed to fly in the air as both the men hit the ground,

"Alright then that's enough, behave!" Raoul called.

"I want to see Myles of Olau immediately!" the girl yelled, her arms wrapped around the head of Lerant of Eldorne,

"And why is that exactly?"

"I am his Niece," the world seemed to stop for a moment as Raoul looked at this young stranger so Scanran, yet maybe not...


	2. Chapter 2

**The Past**

The Sun had been setting at Rickmelda and Gaven, Gee, of Ruttasuku retired to there study. Safely behind there high walls with there Faithful men at arms guarding them, bearly an hour passed before the first boom of capults there enemy neighbours had come to call a war clan was that there door. Rickmelda, Ricky, looked with fear in her eyes at her beloved husband as there captain of the guard gave his first report. As the man turned to leave she turned to her husband,

"Gee, we should send Sunshine away now while we still can,"

"were to my love? Your cousins? That will put her in more danger,"

"south we should send her south, your brother he, he would take care of her wouldn't he?"

"Myles, I haven't scene him since I was 10, he was a grown man by then,"

"please my love,"

"Maybe we should send her, Myles will care for her." Gee looked at his young slender wife, her belly now petruding greatly at the immenate arrival of there second child, hopefully a boy to pass the fief onto.

"Tortall is so far away," the beautiful blond Ricky, looked on the verge of tears. The room rocked with the sound of a catapult slamming into the side of the castle.

"it might be far enough away to keep her safe," gee sighed and moved around his desk and started writing around a blank sheet of paper. Several minutes later he looked up at his wife, "She can always return..." the door burst open with a maid, carrying a sleepy looking child.

"They are inside the walls," she cried,

"Gee..."

"Molly, take her over the mountains, south to safety." Gee yelled grabbing at the papers he had just written, taking a money bag from the draw of his desk me moved towards the maid and Child.

"But sir what of you and my lady,"

"If we don't survive, we need her to continue the family name," thrusting the papers into his money bag he tied it around his small daughters wrist, "sunshine, be brave," he kissed her swiftly on the head before he moved towards the wall, searching for the lever to open the secret passage down to the saddle room and the stables.

"Take Pimmes, he's the best bare back." Ricky said, she kissed the little girls curls and pushed the maid towards the entrance. There was shouting and screams as there own men at arms filled the study doorway, falling back then bolting the doors shut. It bowed forwards as the attacking men shoved against it.

"Run," Gee pushed the maid out of the room shutting the door behind her. The maid moved swiftly down the stairs, there was the echo of breaking wood and the screams of a woman, before she burst out into the saddlers room "Hush now little sunshine, we need to be silent," moving quietly around the room the maid peeped her head out of the door, checking the way was clear, taking a halter from the rack she moved silently down the row the little girl clutching her chest.

"Where are we ridding to, away from the bad men,"

"Yes sunshine, away from the bad men." The maid replied setting the child's feet down on the hay, "stand here be silent, like a mouse." Clutching a ragged doll the girl stood there in bare feet as the maid place the halter and reins on the horse. With that down the maid swung the little girls into the front of the saddle, before awkwardly getting up behind her. "Keep your head down sunshine, and hold on tight." With her head down the girl could only hear the sounds of screams and shouting, the feel of fire and the smell of burning as they rushed through the grounds and out of the shattered gates of the Castle. Several of the enemies men had set them selves up on the walk surrounds the walls.

"Were almost free, little sunshine," the maid whispered in her ear. Before a yell rang out there was a dull thud and the maid slammed forwards before she started to fall. "keep ridding, don't stop, go Keranna!" the girl felt her fall but keep the horse moving with her knees and with silent begging,she glaced over her shouder just once as saw her home lit up like a torch, plums of black smoke rising through the castle. The little girl kept ridding and ridding the hours passed and she got sleepier and sleepier until a branch came out of no were and knocked her to the ground, the world swum and the horse fled, Keranna curled up in a ball under a tree just by the side of the road. A Child alone.

Tocturn, the Bear of Shang, rode silently along a little used road through the south of Scanra. He was heading towards the sea and back to Shang. When a small patch of white, on the side of the road, caught his eye. Dismounting he walked over to it, a touched it, he felt warmth coming up out of the ground, tugging on it slightly a small child jumped up out of what seemed to be the earth kicked him with a small bare foot and ran for his horse who moved towards her like she was the master.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing," he yelled in common, the girl stopped and looked at him, with wide blue eyes.

"You are not bad man,"

"No, I'm the bear of Shang." He said walking up to her slowly, "who are you?"

"Keranna of Ruttasuku," she said with a hesitant voice,

"Well Keranna of Ruttasuku where are you going?" he got down on one knee in front of her,

"South, my ma and da are dead."

"Really," the bear looked her over carefully for a few moments there was a spark in her eyes and knowledge as well. "Why don't you come with me? I will take you some where safe." The girl evaluated him in return, before a loud gurgle sounded, "Was that your tummy?" the girl nodded enthusiastically, "well why don't we feed you, and you can think about my offer, alright?" with a smile Tocturn pulled out bread and hard cheese and handed it to the child.

Sitting on the side of the road the girl ate occasionally looking over at the bear, finally as the last bit of cheese disappeared into her mouth she looked over at him.

"Were will you take me?"

"To Shang, I think you'll do well."

"To be a fighter, alright."

"So you'll come with me,"

"Nanny told me that bears are good, they are strong and reliable and protect people, so I should go with a bear."

"Your nanny was very wise." A few minutes later with the girl bundled up in his blanket and place in front of him in the saddle the bear headed west and back to the sea and to the fortress that would turn this young girl into one of the best Shang that ever lived.


End file.
